Who are the Jackson 5? 

According to the Motown Museum, the Jackson 5 was a group that consisted of Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Tito Jackson, and Jackie Jackson. The group produced a total of 16 albums under the titles of The Jackson 5 and The Jacksons. They released many impressive songs like “ABC”, “I Want You Back”, and “I’ll Be There.”

According to Wikipedia, their fourth album together was simply titled Christmas Album, which was released on Oct 15, 1970. It consisted of eleven tracks: “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, “The Christmas Song”, “Up On The House Top”, “Frosty The Snowman”, “Little Drummer Boy”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Christmas Won’t Be The Same This Year”, “Give Love on Christmas Day”, “Someday At Christmas” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” However,  the Ultimate Christmas Collection allowed multiple bonus tracks and Christmas greetings from each member of the group to be released in 2009. 

The Classics

Classic songs on the Jackson 5’s Christmas Album consist of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” The tracks are definitely more upbeat in comparison to others, having strong melodies and rhythm. Ultimately, these factors made these songs extremely catchy, and they leave people wanting to listen to them over and over.

When speaking to Maya Figueroa, a Colonia High School freshman, she informed me which song she thought was the best on the album. “Of the Jackson 5 Christmas Album, my favorite song was ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town.’ It’s energetic and infectious with a great instrumental background and memorable vocals. Of all the songs included, it’s the most well-known, and to me, it’s even better than the original.” 

Underrated Gems

You should not only listen to this album for the classics, though. Other tracks that you should immediately add to your holiday playlist! Examples of these would be “Up On The House Top”, “Someday At Christmas”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and  ‘Frosty The Snowman.” These tracks bring out a perfect amount of holiday cheer. Even though they were young, the Jacksons did not disappoint with these songs whatsoever. 

Additionally, when speaking to Hephzibah Ayanbukola, another freshman stated that her favorite song was one of these gems. “My favorite song was ‘Frosty the Snowman.’ I liked the way the rendition had a soulful vibe to it, and that vibe almost had me up and dancing. Plus, it’s always been one of my favorite holiday songs.”

Slower Songs 

This album also had some slower songs sprinkled within it. However, a slower tempo does not equal a bad song. Songs like  “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, “The Christmas Song.”  “Little Drummer Boy”,  “Christmas Won’t Be The Same This Year”, and “Give Love on Christmas Day” are all able to remind me of the true meaning of Christmas. Personally, these tracks remind me of how important Christmas really is. Caring for others is the least we can do as a society, and this holiday reminds us of that.